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Posted by on Nov 21, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

How Is Butter Made?

How Is Butter Made?

Fresh milk from dairy farms is collected at regular basis and brought to the factory. In butter factories, Butter is made by churning the fat from milk which is full of tiny, round globules, or drops, of fat.

The cream is then separated using centrifugal force. It is then pasteurized by heating it rapidly to a high temperature to eliminate potential disease-causing bacteria and help the butter stay fresh longer.

The cream from milk is then poured into round drums that turn and churn the cream. As the cream churns, the globules of fat clump together into lumps of butter. The milky liquid that remains is called buttermilk.

The buttermilk is drained away, and the butter is washed in water and salted. The final product is, by regulation, at least 80% fat, about 16% water and 3% milk solids.

After being weighed, cut, wrapped and chilled, the butter is delivered to your grocery store, ready for you to add to your favorite foods.

Although most butter is churned from cow’s milk, in certain countries it is made from the milk of such animals as reindeer, yaks, camels, sheep, and goats.

Content for this question contributed by Mary Kate Kalisiak, resident of Carroll, Carroll County, Iowa, USA